Where They Found Her - Kimberly McCreight

First line: "It isn't until afterward that I think about the bag or the bloody towels stuffed inside."

Kimberly McCreight follows up her outstanding debut with a suspense novel of equal weight and mystery. Where They Found Her is the story of a dead newborn and the small college town dealing with the trauma of her discovery as the police work to uncover the parents' identities.

Molly Sanderson is a young mother recovering from the severe depression she experienced after the miscarriage of her second daughter. She and her husband Justin have recently moved to Ridgedale in order for Justin to take a teaching job at the local university. Molly is working as the arts editor for the small local newspaper, but a perfect storm of events leaves her as the only staff member who can cover a breaking news story--a dead body discovered down by the river. It isn't until Molly arrives that she learns the victim is a newborn baby girl.

Sandy Mendelson should be in high school, but she's too busy taking care of her drug-addled mother, Jenna, and besides, they never stay in one place long enough for Sandy to accomplish anything. But Sandy is secretly trying to get her GED through a local program. That is until her mother disappears and a strange man shows up at their apartment door with an eviction notice.

Barbara Carlson is married to the chief of police and gives new meaning to the phrase "helicopter parent." Her daughter Hannah is a successful high school student and her son Cole is in kindergarten. When Barbara starts receiving reports that Cole is acting out she freaks. Certainly he saw or heard something he shouldn't at the home of his little friend, the one with the terrible mother. Things truly escalate when Barbara finds Cole drawing a picture of a person with no arms and blood everywhere.

The lives of these three women begin to intertwine as the murder case seeps into Ridgedale. Where They Found Her oscillates between each of their points of view, slowly drawing lives together like multiple puzzles whose pieces are joined to create a completely new picture. And as the case unravels, the ties that bind these women become tighter and tighter, and each comes out a completely different person.

Where They Found Her is gritty and dark. It's also hopeful and inspiring. McCreight is adept at juggling several seemingly unrelated mysteries and then uniting them at the conclusion. No part is inconsequential in her master plan.

The alternating points of view builds suspense and makes this a difficult book to put down. Each perspective is incomplete so the readers have to put the various clues together and try to identify the red herrings McCreight throws in as well. Her plot building is artful, but it's her characters that will truly engage readers with this novel.

The idea of the strong female character is both challenged and illustrated throughout the novel, but in non-traditional ways. They aren't out solving the crimes in four-inch stilettos, instead they're recovering from depression, working on a GED, and trying to be the best mother possible. They are people readers can identify with and empathize with. That connection makes the suspenseful plot exponentially more engaging.

Where They Found Her packs a powerful punch and leaves a lasting impression.

Where They Found Her is available in hardcover from Harper (9780062225467) and as an unabridged audio (9781481534710), narrated by Tavia Gilbert, Lauren Fortgang, Rachel F. Hirsch and Therese Plummer, from Harper and Blackstone Audio.


       

My review today is the last stop of the TLC book tour for Where They Found Her. Check the schedule to see what other bloggers are saying about Kimberly McCreight's sophomore novel. You can also connect with Kimberly on Facebook and Twitter.

Disclosure: I do some contractual work for one of the owners of TLC Blog Tours. My work with them does not obligate me to a specific kind of review. The reviews are still my own opinions and reflect only my thoughts on the novels. If you care to read more, you can find more information on my Disclosure page.

Finding Jake - Bryan Reardon

First line: "My name is Simon Connolly."

In this emotionally powerful and suspenseful novel, Bryan Reardon tells the story of a school shooting through the eyes of a parent. Simon Connolly is a stay-at-home dad who agonizes over all of his choices, words and actions. He wants to do what is best for his two children, Jake and Laney, but at the same time, he struggles with playdates and other social activities because he doesn't feel as though he fits in with the mothers--there are no other stay-at-home dads in his neighborhood.

Simon finds connecting with Jake a bit easier than Laney because he understands boy stuff. But Laney is out-going and social. She makes friends easily and wants to play with other children. Jake is more reserved, he isn't as driven to join in the neighborhood games and gatherings. He does however participate in sports: baseball, flag football, cross country. Jake and Laney adore each other, and in their own ways they are well-adjusted children.

And then the unthinkable happens. There is a shooting at Jake and Laney's high school. Simon receives a text message--as all the school's parents do--to proceed to a nearby church and wait for further directions. As a tense and terrifying day passes in the church, families learn the fates of their children, everyone except Simon and his wife, Rachel. All the students are accounted for but Jake, and now he's a suspected shooter.

Reardon's choice to tell this story through Simon's perspective builds a great deal of suspense that will keep readers riveted. It also emphasizes a hot button issue in violent situations like a school shooting--the role of the parents. Simon's self-doubt and his anger toward other parents highlight the impassioned and reactive responses of those who feel the most helpless.

In the shadows of the school shooting plot line is a rift that begins to form between Simon and his wife prior to the tragedy. It leaves some area for exploration on gender roles in parenting, the effects of tragedy on families, and the characters themselves, making this an excellent book club title.

The one element I found odd was Reardon's tendency to avoid contractions. He doesn't exclude them completely, but the prose is often more formal creating an almost stiff effect. It wasn't my belief that this choice for wording was a reflection on Simon's character as contractions didn't seem to be as rare in dialogue. It's definitely not a factor that should deter people from reading the novel, but it stuck out enough to be noticeable.

Sadly, Finding Jake is a reflection of the current times. It's tragic and heart-breaking, but Reardon also finds a glimmer of hope to pass along to his readers. Keep the tissues close and hug the ones you love.

Finding Jake is available in hardcover from William Morrow (9780062339485) and as an unabridged audio (9781481533416), narrated by George Newbern, from Harper and Blackstone Audio.


       

My review today is part of the TLC book tour for Finding Jake, which continues through the first week of May. Check the schedule to see what other bloggers are saying about this powerful book from Bryan Reardon.

Disclosure: I do some contractual work for one of the owners of TLC Blog Tours. My work with them does not obligate me to a specific kind of review. The reviews are still my own opinions and reflect only my thoughts on the novels. If you care to read more, you can find more information on my Disclosure page.

Eyes on You - Kate White

First line: "The shoes had made a nasty dent in my paycheck, but I wasn't sorry I'd splurged."

Robin Trainer is on top of the world. She's just published a bestselling novel and she's the co-host of a successful cable talk show. But during a book party she discovers a nasty note someone has left in her purse:

"You evil little bitch. You'll get yours."

While the note bugs her, she's able to write it off as someone's jealous prank. That is until other frightening things start happening to Robin: book jackets torn through her author photo, a vandalized Barbie doll left in her office, sabotage to her make-up.

Robin is mentally evaluating everyone around her to figure out who has an ax to grind. And it's simultaneously throwing her back into a trauma from her childhood. The threats escalate and Robin feels the world closing in on her. Everything she's worked so hard for is falling apart and if she doesn't figure out who is threatening her, she may just end up dead.

Eyes on You isn't a new thriller plot concept--a mysterious someone sending the protagonist over a psychological bridge--but it is written engagingly and with a strong momentum. This is a great book to toss in your beach bag for some enjoyable reading this summer.

There is plenty of suspicion thrown around to all the characters to keep the suspense strong and the reader questioning the outcome. However, there were a few loose ends, leaving me wondering at the conclusion if they were on purpose or if the issues were simply forgotten. This also loosened up the plot as a whole.

Kate White paints an insider's look at New York City, especially among the city's well-to-do: glamorous apartments and office spaces, restaurants and shops. It's a realm of the city where you need to watch your back so you don't get stabbed or stepped on as someone else is trying to climb the ivory tower.

Eyes on You is a quick, fun read. It may not make any earth-shattering changes in the thriller realm, but when you crave something a bit lighter, Eyes may just fit that bill.

Eyes on You releases June 24th in hardcover (ISBN: 978-0061576638) from Harper. It will also be available as an unabridged audiobook (ISBN: 978-1483005102), narrated by Abby Craden.

My review is part of the TLC Book Tour for Eyes on You. I am kicking off the tour, so you can follow along with the remainder of the tour to see what other bloggers are saying about the book.

Disclosure: I do some contractual work for one of the owners of TLC Blog Tours. My work does not involve this tour or any other tour I would agree to be a part of here at the blog. Nor does my work with them obligate me to a specific kind of review. The reviews are still my own opinions and reflect only my thoughts on the novels. If you care to read more, you can find more information on my Disclosure page.

The Qualities of Wood - Mary Vensel White

First line: "In the small, congested airport, Vivian didn't recognize her husband."

Vivian Gardiner has left her job in the city to spend a year in the rural home of her husband's late grandmother, Betty Gardiner. The house needs to be readied for sale, so while Vivian goes through the belongings left behind, her husband will be working on his second mystery novel.

The night Vivian arrives in her new temporary home, the police find a young girl dead in the forested area behind the Gardiner property. The death haunts Vivian as she works on the house and learns more and more about this "quaint" little town and the people who populate it. She may just find a few surprising skeletons in the house's nooks and crannies.

The Qualities of Wood is a book I've been wanting to read for awhile now and finally snatched my chance over Thanksgiving weekend. Right now it is available as an ebook; it was first published by the HarperCollins imprint Authonomy as an ebook exclusive but will be available in print this summer.

I'm tempted to say I fell in love with this book from the very beginning as I joined Vivian on her journey to small town U.S.A. Vivian had some reservations but the whole scene looked beautiful and inviting to me, my idea of heaven. I probably would prefer no suspicious deaths in my back yard, but otherwise...

Mary Vensel White has created a lush atmosphere in her debut novel, enveloping her reader in the sights and sounds of Vivian's foreign world. The dusty old house with bizarre wallpaper, the tall grass in desperate need of a cutting and the country road, slowly being paved over the course of the summer, these snapshots fit together like images in a flip book--each still photo a vital piece in the movement of the story.

And the characters are as quirky and fascinating as any you might find in a crowded subway car, illustrating the complexities of the often-stigmatized backwoods folk.  From Vivian's new gal-pal Katherine to the eerie neighbor Mr. Stokes to the dead girl's mother Kitty Brodie, everyone has their secrets. And as in many small towns, the stories make their ways around, but more in line with a game of telephone, the stories get distorted as they are passed from one person to the other. No one holds the whole truth and the misconceptions may prove deadly.

The plot is steeped in suspense. It has a slower rhythm. This isn't a thriller, instead the pacing coincides gracefully with the setting and the suspense builds gradually and hauntingly. White also employs plot twists that just may break your heart.

The Qualities of Wood is a striking debut and I'm anxious to see where Mary Vensel White goes from here.

The Qualities of Wood is available now from Authonomy (ISBN: 9780007469505) in all ebook formats. It will be available in trade paperback (ISBN: 978-0007523580) June 17, 2014.

If You Were Here - Alafair Burke

First line: "Nicky Cervantes smiled to himself as two Wall Street boys pressed past him, one reporting excitedly to the other that Apple stock was up six percent with the release of the company's new iPhone."

The rescue of a teenager from the subway tracks by a mysterious woman in a white sweater serves as the starter pistol in the amazing race that is Alafair Burke's new standalone novel, If You Were Here. There is no "build-up" to this suspense novel, it's adrenaline-pumping right out of the gate.

McKenna Jordan (a name that may be familiar to some readers) is a former assistant prosecutor turned journalist coming off some significant success on a feature article she wrote regarding the case that ended her legal career. She suspects that the rescue on the subway tracks may be a bigger story than first meets the eye. When she starts digging, what she finds is more shocking than even she imagined; she's positive the mysterious woman is her friend Susan who disappeared without a trace ten years ago--about the same time McKenna's legal career imploded.

Obstacle after obstacle seem to be popping up in McKenna's path to uncovering the truth about the subway and the mystery woman, including a scandal that costs her her job at the magazine, but McKenna is determined to find the truth. As the "obstacles" grow in severity, the path twists and turns while the question shifts from "will she uncover the truth" to "will she live long enough to uncover the truth."

The long lost loved one returning under mysterious circumstances has indeed been done in crime fiction many times, but Alafair Burke infuses her own brand of creativity and excitement into the plot concept to create a fresh approach and an exciting story. This is by far Burke's fastest, intensest, most engrossing plot yet. She keeps the reader guessing with a plausibly frightening corkscrew of events.

With each book Burke's upped her game but If You Were Here shows her greatest leap. Her trademark use of pop culture enhances the plot with a brilliant Twitter scheme and a hilarious use for duct tape and law books. Her view of New York City is both honest and insightful. Non-natives will feel immersed not only in the geography but the culture of the city.

However, her passion comes out in the characters unlike any of her previous books. And that passion translates to her readers who stay up late, on the edges of their seats because they can't possibly leave McKenna and Patrick alone all night; they have to see them through their life-altering ordeal.

As a standalone, readers new to Burke's work can easily pick up If You Were Here, and boy are you in for a treat when you do. Those who, like me, have followed her career almost from the start will be cheering not only for McKenna but for Alafair. Damn, you hit your A-game on this one, Professor Burke!

If You Were Here is available in hardcover (ISBN: 978-0062208354) from Harper. An unabridged audio (ISBN: 9780062280657), narrated by Roxanne Hernandez, is available from Harper Audio.

My review is part of the TLC blog tour. You can find additional reviews of If You Were Here at the TLC site.

Disclosure: In recent months I have begun doing some contractual work for one of the owners of TLC Blog Tours. My work does not involve this tour or any other tour I would agree to be a part of here at the blog. Nor does my work with them obligate me to a specific kind of review. The reviews are still my own opinions and reflect only my thoughts on the novels. If you care to read more, you can find more information on my Disclosure page.

THE GENESIS KEY - James Barney

Due to space and time constraints there were a handful of reviews I submitted to Shelf Awareness that were not able to appear in the newsletter. Over the next couple of weeks I'll be sharing those reviews with you. The first appears today with permission from Shelf Awareness.

First Line: "Daniel Talbot wished he had his sunglasses."

Biologist Dr. Kathleen Sainsbury has a very personal reason for wanting to discover the gene in the human DNA that will prolong life, possibly by hundreds of years. But as her research carries her closer and closer to the answer, a man from her past appears and chaos follows close on his heels.

James Barney unlocks the secret to a successful debut novel in grand fashion. This adventure thriller delves into science, history, religion, and politics. In most labs that mixture would be deadly. But Barney manages to balance the components for an exciting, thought-provoking reading experience.

Kathleen Sainsbury, Barney’s female protagonist, is well fleshed out with myriad dimensions. She’s smart and ambitious with weaknesses and flaws. Kathleen depends on her friends and family which not only works to make her believable, but also heightens the value of the supporting characters to the novel.

The characters play such a pivotal role in a great thriller. While the plot can drive the pacing of the novel, if the reader isn’t making some emotional connection with the characters, the events seem unimportant. Barney doesn’t skimp on the characters, so when they are weaved into a fascinating, well-researched plot, the intensity is increased.

The Genesis Key pokes around ethical themes without expressing any personal commentary; readers won’t find this to be a passive experience. More likely they’ll find questions lingering long after the final page.

The Genesis Key is available in mass market paperback (ISBN: 978-0062021380) from Harper.

DEATH OF THE MANTIS - Michael Stanley

First line: "The desert glowed in the dawn light."

In the third installment of the Detective Kubu series, Assistant Superintendent David "Kubu" Bengu finds himself among the Bushman of the Kalahari. A ranger is found in a dry river bed with a massive skull injury. He's surrounded by three Bushman who are attempting to coax the ranger into drinking water. When the ranger dies on the way to the hospital and no evidence of any other humans can be found in the area, the three Bushman are arrested.

Meanwhile, in Gaborone, new father Kubu is unaware of the events. They come to his attention when his childhood friend Khumanego contacts him. The fact that Khumanego attended school with Kubu is a rarity. When Khumanego returned to the desert, he had difficulties fitting back in; ultimately he took a position advocating on behalf of the Bushman, so he is trying to save his fellow men from a crime he's certain they did not commit. But after Kubu works to free the Bushmen and similar crimes are committed, Kubu isn't so sure he agrees with Khumanego.

The Detective Kubu series has always been one in which the sense of place is as strong in illustrating who the characters are as the characters' actions. DEATH OF THE MANTIS is no exception. The relationship between the desert and its inhabitants is mysteriously beautiful even though it is also a volatile relationship. The life of the Bushman is a constant struggle; the Michael Stanley writing duo depict both the desert and the struggles in all their array of colors bringing the locales to life for all the readers who have never seen anything beyond a magazine photo.

DEATH OF THE MANTIS is also profoundly rich in relationships. The bond between Kubu and his wife, Joy, has consistently added depth to the series. In this book, however, that bond takes on a new dimension when their family dynamics change with the addition of the baby, Tumi.

And Kubu's relationships with his parents and friends have also added to the breadth of the novels. In DEATH OF THE MANTIS his friendship with Khumanego is challenged. Khumanego is the one who taught Kubu to see beyond the obvious; his affection is important to Kubu so damage of any kind to the friendship changes Kubu.

But probably the strongest influences on this Detective Kubu novel come from the relationships between the factions and the relationships between man (specifically the Bushman) and nature. The echos I heard as an American reader were those of the Native Americans, which lead me to believe this is a universal scenario. One that people around the world can relate to:

"We have to fight to keep the government from taking our culture, from making us empty of who we are. Making us nothing."

The power of these words resonate throughout DEATH OF THE MANTIS. The novel still includes humorous situations and exchanges like the two before it. The irony of Kubu's inability to see obvious things, like his wife's exhaustion from caring for their baby, when he never misses the concealed clues is always endearing. And the mystery is challenging and entertaining. But the DEATH OF THE MANTIS goes beyond the ordinary and presents questions of humanity, some of which have no easy answer.

DEATH OF THE MANTIS is an engaging, thrilling mystery with an exotic backdrop. It's not one readers will easily put down. But it also goes beyond; it's a challenging statement of politics and humanity, forcing readers to step out of what's comfortable and experience the extraordinary unknown.

DEATH OF THE MANTIS releases today from Harper Paperbacks as a Trade Paperback original (ISBN: 978-006200037). As an aside, the first two books of this series are available on audiobook, narrated by Simon Prebble. I haven't been able to find any information on whether DEATH OF THE MANTIS will be available on audio, but I highly recommend experiencing at least one of these books in audio to hear the sound of the language, most especially if you have had no experience with it before.

My review is part of the DEATH OF THE MANTIS blog tour with TLC Blog Tours. And I'm thrilled that I am able to kick off this tour. This has really been a series I've tried to be an evangelist for, so I'm happy to be able to sing the praises of Michael Stanley's work once again. At the TLC site, you can find links to additional reviews that will post through the next month.

And my final unrelated comment is to keep an eye on the blog after Bouchercon. I believe I'm going to be able to offer some lucky readers copies of the books in the Detective Kubu series, including DEATH OF THE MANTIS. Happy Reading!

THE PALE BLUE EYE - Louis Bayard

First line: "In two or three hours...well, it's hard to tell...in three hours, surely, or at the very outside, four hours...within four hours, let us say, I'll be dead."

An apparent suicide is discovered outside the parade grounds of West Point in 1830. A cadet has hung himself from a tree. To add insult to injury, someone sneaks into the coroner's and steals the dead cadet's heart.

In an effort to quietly and discreetly solve the mystery of who would commit such a ghoulish wrong on the dead, West Point Superintendent Sylvanus Thayer calls on Augustus "Gus" Landor, a former constable, to investigate the crime. Landor, being an outsider, needs to find an assistant who can penetrate the West Point code but who isn't a suspect and won't look suspicious in his inquiries. So Gus turns to Edgar Allan Poe.

Louis Bayard has a very rare skill. He manages to blend the literary, the mysterious and suspenseful, the historical and the comical altogether in a most effective combination. The euphonious language may at first deceive readers into thinking the plot's pacing will be slow, but it's quite the contrary. Bayard has constructed a murder mystery that only continues to gather layers and momentum as the story unfolds. Red herrings abound, teasing the reader to follow, daring him/her to just try to put the book down.

The dialogue in THE PALE BLUE EYE resonates with the time period and the characteristics of the speakers, but it is also sharp and witty. Bayard's portrayal of Poe through his language is deliciously priceless: he's at time sympathetic, at times unintentionally comical and always passionate.

The characters populating THE PALE BLUE EYE exude depth and realism, while remaining constructs of their author's imagination. I personally found myself talking to them: "get a grip," "no, don't do it," "awwww!" Those kinds of responses, whether positive or negative, are elicited by the characters who provoke our ardor.  Bayard and his characters are excellent provocateurs.

I listened to THE PALE BLUE EYE on audio, which was an exceptional treat. Charles Leggett narrated Bayard's work with panache. His reading epitomizes what a great audiobook does. Leggett embodies each of the characters through their unique mannerisms, tones, and dialects. The demanding presence of Commandant Ethan Allen Hitchcock leaves even the reader a bit intimidated, while Poe's starry-eyed infatuation is cute and Landor's weariness lamentable.  Bayard's wit comes through in Leggett's interpretation of the work, leaving the reader chuckling or even laughing out loud.  And he seems to flow effortlessly through the various East Coast dialects spoken by the cast.

I believe that certain books should at be experienced on audio at least once. The beauty of the language, when performed well, is simply magical. THE PALE BLUE EYE read by Charles Leggett is one of these books.

THE PALE BLUE EYE is available in trade paper from Harper Perennial (ISBN: 978-0060733988) and on audio from AudioGo (previously BBC America) (ISBN: 978-0792742371).

PIRATE KING - Laurie R. King

First line: "'Honestly, Holmes? Pirates?'"

Mary Russell, wife of Sherlock Holmes, is called into service by Scotland Yard to investigate the possible criminal activity happening with the Fflytte Silent Film Production Company. While not enamored by the idea of the job, Russell is even less excited about the prospect of her brother-in-law coming to stay. So, she packs her bags and sets off for Portugal with a film crew that is creating a "realistic" movie about people performing The Pirates of Penzance.

As if the sheer chaos of shooting a film of a story within a story is not enough to contend with during a criminal investigation, the director's desire for "realism," thirteen actresses, fourteen pirates, a Portuguese translator, and a ship in questionable sailing shape all provide obstacles to Russell's successful completion of this highly bizarre case.

PIRATE KING is my first experience with Laurie King's Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series. Even though it is the eleventh book in the series, I encountered no difficulties following the narrative - this book can easily stand alone. The story includes an entertaining plot, full of quirky characters befitting a Sherlock Holmes tale - from a creatively-dressed, Napoleon-like director to a soprano-voiced, scar-faced pirate to gum-chewing prima donna.

As Watson narrates the original Doyle stories, Russell narrates King's series. The smart, motivated and witty Russell is a captivating character; her commentary on the events as they unfold provide for colorful story-telling. Her spunk provides humor.

The plot of PIRATE KING contains well placed twists in addition to developing plot layers that work to build suspense throughout the novel. King throws in the occasional silent film subtitle block, reinforcing the movie motif, and the silence imagery extends out to language barriers between characters as well as secrets.

This novel is clever, suspenseful and fun. PIRATE KING is indeed a treasure to be discovered.

PIRATE KING will be available in hardcover (ISBN: 978-0-553-80798-1) from Bantam Books on September 6, 2011.

BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP - S.J. Watson

First line: "The bedroom is strange."

Everyday Christine wakes up to remember nothing of her adult life. She wakes up with a strange man in her bed who is actually her husband. She wakes up in a room she does not recognize. She has to learn each day who she is.

Christine is also seeing a doctor, Dr. Ed Nash. He has convinced Christine to start keeping a journal each day. And then each day he calls to remind Christine of her journal, so she can reread the previous days and write in the present. Little by little, the journal helps Christine to know who she is and to uncover the secrets she has buried deep in her subconscious mind.

BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP is an extraordinary debut novel. Told from the perspective of Christine, mostly through the pages of her journal, the reader stays as much in the dark as the narrator. Just as Christine relies on her husband Ben and her doctor to know herself, we rely on the scribblings in her journal to know who she is. This creates a great sense of suspense and to some level, anxiety. While Christine is afraid to go to bed at night because she will once again forget who she is, we are afraid to close the pages of the book not knowing what is coming next.

That sense of not knowing what comes next also contributes to the reader being able to empathize with Christine. Most of us reading this book have never had to deal with no recollection of our adult selves. How can we empathize with a situation so foreign? By experiencing it, in a sense, through the story structure. Watson does an exemplary job of depicting Christine's experiences and emotions as she would feel them as opposed to how an outsider would observe her experiencing them.

And overall the story looks at the theme, "What are we, if not an accumulation of our memories?" What kind of an existence does a person have if everyday he/she wakes up with a blank slate?

My only disappointment of BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP came in the conclusion. It was not a bad conclusion, but compared to the extraordinary body of the novel, the ending was very ordinary. I will leave my comments at that to avoid any spoilers, but I'll open up this question to the comments (please don't give away the ending): if you've read the book, did you feel at all let down by the ending, did you predict the ending or did you think it was in line with the rest of the story and it was just amazing?

BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP is a debut you should check out. S.J. Watson is an extremely talented suspense writer and I foresee great things from him. BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP is just the beginning!

My review of BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP is part of the TLC blog tour. Check out the other blogs participating in the tour for a variety of views on this novel. You can also check out the BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP Facebook page.

BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP is available in hardcover from Harper (ISBN: 978-0-06-206055-6) and is also available as an audiobook from Harper Audio, narrated by Orlagh Cassidy (ASIN: B0055QAF54)

The Serpent's Tale - Ariana Franklin

The Serpent's Tale is Ariana Franklin's second book about Adelia Aguilar. In this tale, Adelia is still in England, living with the Fen's, Mansur, and her infant daughter Allie when King Henry summons Adelia to investigate the poisoning murder of his mistress, Rosamund. The initial supposition is that Queen Eleanor had the mistress murdered, but Rowley does not believe that to be the case.

While Adelia is investigating at the home of Rosamund, Eleanor and her minions arrive with intentions of going to war with King Henry. They force everyone alive at Rosamund's home to travel with them, but they are ultimately forced to take up residence at the nunnery at Godstow for the winter - travel is impossible due to the snow and cold. On their way to the nunnery, another murder is discovered. And yet another murder takes place while they are confined to the nunnery. Adelia must discover who the murderer or murderers are before they harm her or her daughter. In the meantime she prays for the arrival of King Henry to rescue them all.

Ariana Franklin has a special talent for transporting her readers back in time. The Serpent's Tale, like Mistress of the Art of Death, takes place in Twelfth Century England. This time period puts her heroine at a distinct disadvantage because of the way women were treated during this time period. And Franklin doesn't discount that; instead, she uses that fact to develop her protagonist. It doesn't hurt that King Henry supports Adelia, though.

Adelia is one of my favorite female protagonists in crime fiction. She's smart, determined, educated; beneath that sometimes tough exterior, she's compassionate and gentle and kind. Adelia wrestles with the cultural beliefs that allow women to be mistreated in this time and place. Adelia, being from the forward-thinking city of Salerno and also having forward-thinking foster parents, wasn't subjected to many of these cultural norms before coming to England. And while there is little she can do to change their ways, she does use some rather conniving approaches to improving a few women's lives. As the reader, you can't help but cheer her on.

The character of Mansur is as wonderful as ever. He's often just a silent player in the background, but that is what makes his character so powerful. I think I identify with him because he IS silent. He, like I learned many years ago, learns most by simply listening. He is at an advantage in this realm because most of the English people who surround him don't believe he can understand what they are saying, so they speak freely around him. But still, listening is a powerful tool, and he uses it to his advantage.

The addition of Allie in this book brought further depth to Adelia's character. At the conclusion of Mistress, Adelia's feelings for children, specifically Ulf, were heightened. That attitude combined with her love for Rowley makes her attachment to Allie completely natural. It also brings out the softer, more vulnerable side of Adelia.

Franklin's portrayal of Queen Eleanor was quite fascinating. Of course, the Queen is also a woman, and while a woman of power, still a woman. Adelia begins to see some of the same barriers in front of the Queen that are in front of every woman in this time period.

While there isn't a lot of question about who is responsible for the murders in this plot, it is still a page-turner. This is not a book where a murder occurs at the beginning and the remainder of the plot is investigating that one murder. Instead a murder occurs, investigation begins, more murder and mayhem, more investigation. I think you get the picture; the action mimics the chaos of this period with mercenaries running loose at the behest of this queen. And of course the reader is constantly waiting for King Henry to show up.

Yes, King Henry. Franklin illustrates King Henry toward the end of the novel in a manner I found eerily relevant to so many people throughout history, and even to some people today in America's time of turmoil:

Because you outstripped them, Adelia thought. In your impatience, you outstrip everybody, your wife, your son, Becket, and expect them to love you. They are people of our time and you are not; you see beyond the boundaries they set; you see me for what I am and use me for your advantage; you see Jews, women, even heretics, as human beings and use them for your advantage; you envisage justice, tolerance, unattainable things. Of course nobody keeps up with you.

Oddly enough, the one mind she could equate with his was Mother Edyve's. The world believed that what was now was permanent, God had willed it, there could be no alteration without offending Him.

Only a very old woman and this turbulent man had the sacrilegious impudence to question the status quo and believe that things could and should be changed for the betterment of all people.

The turbulence of the time period, the amazingly intricate characters and an exotic setting all add up to an incredible novel. Another wonderful book by Ariana Franklin.

A Carrion Death - Michael Stanley

Detective David "Kubu" Bengu of the Botswana Criminal Investigation Department is on the case when Kalahari game rangers discover a body being devoured by hyenas. There is enough of the corpse left to discover that the individual did not die of natural causes.

Kubu's investigation leads him to the family of an old school friend, Angus Hofmeyr. Angus's family owns the Botswana Cattle and Mining Company (BCMC). It has been run for years by Angus's uncle, Cecil Hofmeyr, but will be turned over to Angus on his 30th birthday. As Kubu continues to investigate, more "hinky" details concerning the BCMC start to surface, as well as more dead bodies.

A Carrion Death is nothing short of brilliant. My summary of the plot oversimplifies the complexity of this first novel by authors Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip. I listened to it on audio, and while the narrator, Simon Prebble, did a fantastic job, if I were going to do it over, I would physically read the book. The story is not told in a strict chronological order so the reader has to be keenly aware of where the plot is at all times or it is extremely easy to end up lost. There were many times I would have liked to have flipped back to reread a section to make sure I was "up to par" on what was going on. And many of the names have similar sounds, so I would have to constantly remind myself of who everyone was. These issues wouldn't have come into play quite so much if I was holding the actual book in my hands.

Kubu is the Setswanan word for hippopotamus, and that nickname immediately endeared Kubu to me as the reader; the endearment only grew as Kubu's character was further developed throughout the novel. Kubu is cultured: he enjoys opera and sings along to it in his car. He is respectful of both his wife and his parents. And Kubu loves to eat - thus, hippopotamus! Kubu is constantly concerned about the next meal and where it is coming from. But Kubu is also an intelligent investigator.

As I mentioned before, the plot does not take place in strict chronological order. This adds to the mystery of the novel, constantly adding possibilities to the list of suspects. But "who done it" is not the only mystery in this novel..."who it was done to" is also a mystery throughout. Several individuals end up missing, so who exactly is the corpse from the watering hole? The complexity of this plot kept me glued to the stereo. This high-level puzzle was exciting to try to figure out. I would never classify this book as an "easy, quick read." Instead it challenged me as a reader to think above and beyond the norm. I devour books that challenge me!

Another challenge that the book brings forth is the contrasts that exists in Botswana - contrasts between the native people and the outsiders who are less concerned with the land than they are with the possibilities of personal wealth.

The setting in Africa is amazing. As I've mentioned before, I adore the series I read in places like New York City or Los Angeles, but books that are set in less-literary-traveled locals are especially fun for me as a reader. The inclusion of elements such at the Bushman witch doctor and diamond mining issues help to bring the setting to life.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough to anyone who enjoys crime fiction and mystery. It is a must read and will definitely be on my top ten of 2008!

I will be on the lookout for Michael Stanley's follow-up to this amazing book (The Second Death of Goodluck Tinubu due out in June 2009 by the way). I look forward to the chance to share more time with Kubu and the Botswana Criminal Investigation Department.

Angel's Tip - Alafair Burke

Ripped from the headlines...Chelsea Hart is an Indiana University student in New York City on spring break. She and her friends are out at a trendy night club on their last night in town. It's late and her friends are trying to pry her away from the club so they can go back to their hotel and maybe grab a couple hours sleep before having to catch a flight back to Indiana. Chelsea, however, doesn't want to leave yet so she talks her friends into returning to the hotel without her. She insists she'll be ready to catch the plane with them. It's a deadly decision. Chelsea isn't seen alive again.

Ellie Hatcher is one of the first to find Chelsea when she and her brother Jess are out for a morning run. Ellie is back in NYC and back with the homicide department, this time as an official detective IN the department. She calls her new partner J.J. Rogan and tells him to get to the crime scene, they've just snagged a murder investigation.

All seems great in NYC when a suspect is arrested and an air-tight case appears to be in order. Everyone is happy given the PR nightmare this incident had written all over it. But in the process of the investigation, Ellie discovers three cold cases her old partner Flann McIlroy had been looking into. Cases he believed were connected...and cases that look eerily similar to the Chelsea Hart case. Does Ellie rock the boat by bringing these cases to the attention of the D.A. or does she sit quietly and chance convicting the wrong person?

Alafair Burke is back in prime form! She hit another Ellie Hatcher homerun with Angel's Tip, the follow-up to Hatcher's debut in Dead Connection. Like Harlan Coben, Burke is a master of "imitating life." I love the pop culture allusions that weave throughout the plot. And, I may be a little biased because they are all ones that I can identify - Ellie and I are definitely from the same era. When one of the college students makes reference to Zak Efron and Ellie says, "And I would know him from where?" I had to laugh out loud. I felt the same sentiment the first time I heard my niece gush all over him.

In Dead Connection I was immediately able to identify with the on-line dating scene, having experienced some of it myself. The nightlife, club scene in Angel's Tip, however, is one that is very foreign to me. BUT, Burke had me connecting with Ellie because that wasn't her scene either. I could FEEL her discomfort at wearing clothes that just weren't HER. And while she was harassed by her brother and partner for her lack of fashion sense, "'Right, because you've got your finger on the pulse of fashion,'" she could probably still one-up me in that arena! The line about "pulling a Britney" was priceless! Ellie was also astounded at the money spent and the behavior of the party people. I'm right there with you, Ellie!

The introduction of J.J. Rogan was a fantastic addition to the series. J.J. is a fun and rich character - and I'm not talking about his inheritance either. It's refreshing to have two relatively young, intelligent professionals working together - of opposite genders - who have great chemistry that doesn't necessitate jumping in the sack.

Both Ellie and J.J. have such a realistic passion about their jobs as police detectives. The way Burke illustrates this passion you would think she was a New York City detective herself. I was especially struck when Ellie remembered a lesson she learned from her father about dealing with the families of victims:

And, although she didn't realize it at the time, she'd learned from those stories. On that particular day, she'd learned never to use the past tense. Even after delivering the news to the family. Even after the official ID. Even after the body's in the ground. Until the family starts using the past tense, everyone else must remain in the present.

What an amazing insight into humanity. And through whose eyes, other than those of a police officer, would you have access to that insight?

Another point of realism that reminded me of how "unreal" television can portray police work came when Ellie took off running after a suspect. J.J. was screaming for her to stop. She didn't have a protective vest on; she didn't know if the suspect was armed; they didn't have back-up - that wasn't correct procedure. Yet, we see that every night on the crime dramas and we expect it. But the "correct procedure" sure does make a lot of sense. I always feel like I've learned something after reading a book by Alafair Burke. This point also reminded me why I like Ellie so much - she's human. She makes mistakes in the heat of the moment; rookie mistakes, if you will. But she's also accountable for her mistakes. She doesn't need some Superman to come save her. There's even a point where the young ADA is with Ellie and she tells him she doesn't need a protector, he can go home. He informs her that he's there for HER to protect HIM! Priceless!

All of this excellent character development and realism sets the scaffolding for a fantastic plot. There are twists and turns at every chapter. While at one point in the novel I suspected the culprit, Burke threw in so many twists that I ended up constantly oscillating trying to guess who the real killer was, "well, it can't be HIM because..." "hmmm, maybe it's HIM..." "then again, it could be...".

Thrillers like Angel's Tip are the only roller coaster rides I enjoy. I'd line up again and again to experience Alafair Burke's kind of thrill! Outstanding!!

Hold Tight - Harlan Coben

In Harlan Coben's latest thriller, Hold Tight, Mike and Tia Baye experience a chilling couple of days because of a decision to put spyware on their son's computer.

When Mike and Tia learn through an e-mail that Adam is going to attend a party with drinking and drugs, they set out to intercept him and prevent him from going without letting on to the fact that they know, and even more importantly HOW they know. But something goes awry when there is no party. But where is Adam? That's when Mike starts following him via the GPS in Adam's cell phone. This plan leads Mike to a shady neighborhood where HE is attacked, and he still hasn't found Adam.

As if Mike Baye doesn't have enough to worry about, his medical partner, Ilene Goldfarb is treating Lucas Loriman, the son of his next door neighbors Susan and Dante Loriman. Through blood testing to find a kidney donor, they learn that Dante is not Lucas's father. The young boy doesn't have much hope unless they can locate his actual father or a paternal relative.

AND the plot continues to layer with the abductions and murders of two women connected to this same neighborhood. Those murders tie into a whole separate element of the novel - or so it seems to be separate.

Coben juggles a lot of characters and plot lines in this novel. He does bring them together at the end of the book, but you may want to have a small chart to keep track of everyone in the book. I found myself asking, "now which character is this again?" quite often throughout the book.

If you're a parent, this book might just scare the bejeebers out of you. The obvious question threaded throughout the entire book is "should you spy on your children?" And Coben doesn't give you his opinion one way or the other. That's the point of the multi-dimensional plot. He gives you a look at the evils of both options.

Coben has this knack for slowly giving you clues that you don't know you're getting. So you feel like you're in the dark with no idea where you're headed - and with the twists and turns in this novel, that just intensifies the feeling of being completely lost. But then he starts to bring all the pieces together and they make sense. I found myself saying, "of course!" more times than once as the book was drawing to a close. I will admit that there was one element I found too convenient in the end, but you can have that with fiction, I guess.

I think I've said this before about Coben, but every time I pick up one of his books I think it should be locked in a time capsule. He defines the statement "art imitates life." This book deals with present-day technology and the ethics surrounding that technology, but it also imitates the language and values of the present. While I do hope the events of this book aren't happening (or haven't happened) anywhere in the world, it isn't hard to imagine them happening because of the realism in all other elements of the book.

One of the other heavy topics that comes up in this book is teenage suicide. One of the characters commits suicide before the story begins. Coben gives the reader a glimpse of the effects this event has on both parents as well as the character's best friend. I've not had a child commit suicide, but I could definitely connect with Betsy Hill after this insight:

The house was dead.

That was how Betsy Hill would describe it. Dead. It wasn't merely quiet or still. The house was hollow, gone, deceased - its heart had stopped beating, the blood had stopped flowing, the innards had begun to decay.

Dead. Dead as a doornail, whatever the hell that meant.

Dead as her son, Spencer.

Don't look for a lot of character development in this novel. The focus is more on the ethical question of spying and on the plot development. Of course at 415 pages, if Coben had put in more character development, I might have been reading for another week. But I think the lack of character development was intentional. This approach made the scenario open to anyone. This isn't something that could happen to only a select, specific group of people, but rather it could happen to the family down the street...or even the family right there in your own home. And that is the scariest part of all.

Envy the Night - Michael Koryta

Frank Temple III grew up never having to wonder if his dad loved him. His father, Frank Temple II, was supportive and present and loving. The only problem: he was also a hit man, a murderer for hire. When the FBI finally cornered Frank II, he committed suicide, leaving behind the younger Frank, conflicted and lost. Frank III was only seventeen and society had deemed his father a monster. Frank knew his father to be different, but then how do you reconcile the father with the hit man? Especially when you're seventeen?

Frank knew his father had done bad things, but he still vowed that, given the chance, he would kill the man responsible for turning in his father to the authorities, Devin Matteson. Seven years later when he receives a call from Ezra Ballard announcing Devin's return to Wisconsin, Frank packs up his few belongings and heads for the lake house that contains all his cherished family memories.

Koryta has done it again. Each time I pick up a new work penned by this master, I'm amazed that it's possible to outdo the last one. He somehow manages to accomplish that fete.

Koryta has veered from his usual style in Envy the Night. Not only has he created a new set of characters, but he's also changed his point of view, writing in third person limited this time instead of first. And he didn't miss a beat. I enjoyed the way the limited view changed, allowing for some insightful thoughts to be revealed from various characters. It also helped to heighten the theme of the novel, life is mostly an area of gray - very rarely is it ever as easy as black and white.

That theme comes through in EVERY character. Koryta has a gift with characterization and that gift seems to heighten with every novel. One factor I always look for in "great" characters is depth. Characters who know everything and somehow have the skills to fit every situation - they have no depth; they are simply flat characters; the superhero character has been done to death. Give me a REAL character. One who has flaws like the rest of the human race; one who has doubts and concerns and conflictions. Those are the characters you see in Koryta's novels. Frank Temple II is a prime example of this. I couldn't help but think of the character Michael Sullivan in the movie, The Road to Perdition. Many people said that the reason you liked Sullivan in the movie was because America just can't dislike Tom Hanks. But I don't think that's true. Instead I think the same dilemma came into play that does with Frank Temple II: the character had admirable qualities; he wasn't completely evil. Both characters truly loved their families, and that's admirable. There is no place this is more evident than when Frank

was eleven years old and struck out with the bases loaded to end his Little League team's season, his father had held him in the car as he'd cried in shame and said, 'Don't worry, kid, next year we'll cork your bat,' and the tears had turned to laughter.

It would be easy to hate Frank II if he yelled at his son in front of everyone and added to the humiliation, but he didn't do that. He provided comfort and support. He didn't even discourage his son from crying. Don't we find that admirable - desirable - in a father?

A lot of times it is easier on a reader for the character to be flat. Then you aren't faced, like Frank, with the confliction of feelings that are elicited. It's easy to completely hate or completely love a character. But Koryta doesn't let you off that easy. He evokes an array of emotion in his reader from every angle. Another prime example of this is Jerry, the crotchety old guy working for Nora Stafford. As his character is being built up, he fits every stereotype of the chauvinist pig. I had to chuckle reading about him buying mirrors on eBay:

...but classic mirrors were hard to find - or so he'd thought until he discovered eBay. If he felt a bit fruity shopping for antiques on the Internet in the library (and he did), it was easy enough to dismiss that with the recollection that the mirrors were, of course, advertising alcohol. Nothing embarrassing about that.

Jerry constantly gives Nora a hard time, and he resents working for a woman. But, when he discovers that some out-of-towners roughed Nora up, he does an about face and a devoted friend shows up in his character. Koryta shows the reader, through Jerry, that it's easy to pass judgment superficially, but when you see inside the character, it isn't so easy to completely dislike - or love - him/her. Koryta sums up his theme with a great phrase, "consideration before conclusion."

Koryta did a bang-up job with the characters in this novel, and plot just drove the book home. This book was full of twists and turns. By this, Koryta's fourth book, I should know better than to think I can figure out the ending mid-way through. Koryta had me chasing my tail on this one; that's for sure. While I couldn't believe he'd be blatant about what the outcome was, it seemed like there was no other possibility - WRONG! And just when you think you've got the plot down, he throws another twist in the mix. I did have some sneaking suspicions about the outcome, but once the action hit full tilt, I forgot those suspicions had ever even existed. I was too caught up in the suspense to be making predictions.

You know in movies when they start playing the scary music, that something bad's going to happen. And your heart starts beating a little faster; you might be (like me) yelling at the character to "turn on the lights" or "get out of that house." And in two or three minutes the event has occurred and everything is back to status quo. You no longer think your heart is going to beat out of your chest and you're heart rate returns to normal. Well, Koryta creates that "scary music" effect - without the music - when Frank is sitting in Nora's truck and his father's words are echoing in his head:

You've got acres of trees on the north side of the building, offering protection for a watcher as well as a clear view of the entrance to the nursing home...Now that you're in the back corner of the lot, you can't see a damn thing, but if someone's in those trees, they saw you come in, and they're making plans for action. You can't make a counterattack plan, because you have no idea what the hell's going on, and won't until it's too late...You're already beaten, son. You let yourself get separated from the only person you had to take care of, the only body that needed guarding..

I immediately started to feel my heart quicken. I think I was hearing the scary music inside my head, even. However, this is almost 100 pages before the end of the book! And the intensity doesn't let up until the end. I was up until 2 in the morning because I certainly could NOT put the book down in the midst of the action and suspense. How could I have possibly fallen asleep not knowing what was going to happen?

Having a great plot to immerse yourself in is a treat in and of itself. But Koryta always adds that something extra special in his mastery of the English language. There are devices and phrases and descriptions threaded throughout the entire novel that just make me stop and reread. I just want to hear them over in my head because they are so effective.

Early in the novel Koryta uses alliteration. O.k., it isn't a new concept. Most anyone can come up with some alliteration, but the statement was "No punishment, no penance, no pain." Frank is thinking about Devin Matteson and how he got off scot-free by handing the feds Frank II on a platter. Can't you just hear the aggression, the spittle in the "p" sounds? The gritted teeth? The utter anger? Koryta didn't need an exclamation point - or an emoticon - on that phrase. The magic is in the words, and Koryta knows how to pick them.

And of course, a work by Koryta wouldn't be complete without some humor thrown in to lighten the mood. But what I want to know is exactly WHEN he was at my house to get the description of the furniture in Nora's dad's house? "Say this much for Dad's furniture, she thought, it looks like something you'd want to hide even at a garage sale, but it's comfortable."

One other section I wanted to highlight in this novel is a scene where Frank is at the lake watching an osprey dive-bombing its own nest. It takes a short while for Frank to figure out why the osprey is behaving this way:

He figured it out when the osprey made its second dive. Just as it neared the nest, another bird spread its wings and bobbed up on the thick piles of sticks, matching the osprey's scream with one of its own. This bird was larger, and unlike the osprey its head was pure white. There was a bald eagle in the osprey's nest. No wonder the other bird was pissed.

First of all the imagery in that paragraph is stunning. Two amazing birds; the laws of nature; dominion. It enhances the setting, but it ties into the plot as well. Not a word is wasted in Envy the Night. Everything has a place and a meaning. This is definitely a book to be reread. I'm sure I'll pick up even more on the next pass through, and it isn't likely to lose any of the magic.

Magnificent!

Power Play - Joseph Finder

At the last minute Jake Landry is asked, or rather required, to attend an "off-site" with the top executives of Hammond Aerospace Corporation. This comes as a bit of a surprise to Jake because he's far from a top executive. But he finds himself en route to this resort in Canada where there are no phones or computer lines, not even cell phone reception. And while he's in the lush, lavish company jet, he's summoned to the CEO's private quarters. Here he encounters an old girlfriend, Allie, who is also the personal assistant to Cheryl, the CEO. Allie has recommended Jake to Cheryl as someone who can spy on the other execs and find out about a rumor that the Defense Department has been offered a bribe by Hammond to secure a contract. But the spying becomes far less important when they reach the resort and are kidnapped by a group of mercenaries who are demanding 500 million dollars in ransom.

I listened to this book on audio, and the narrator is excellent. I'm familiar with him from several shows on television.

The plot, however, left a lot to be desired for me. I have read a couple of Joseph Finder's books in the past and never found them to be as predictable as this one was. While I liked Jake as a character, I found him to be a little too unbelievable. When the occasion occurred that he was the only person who knew how to splice a satellite line because he happened to work for a cable company for a couple weeks one summer, I just kind of rolled my eyes and thought, "of course he did!"

Cheryl was supposed to be this highly intelligent superstar executive, and she believed that the mercenaries were "lost hunters" until Jake pointed out all the reasons they couldn't possibly just be lost hunters. I'm no Einstein and I figured that one out - Cheryl couldn't?

This book was also heavily gruesome. I understand that Finder was trying to drive home the psychotic nature of the kidnappers, but the gruesomeness didn't have a positive effect on my reading experience.

Overall the book was o.k. to listen to on audio. I recently gave up on Gorky Park, so it at least kept me interested enough to listen to the end. But it was a white hat - black hat kind of plot, and those are fine stories, but I don't feel that they challenge me as a reader. Finder has definitely produced better than this one.

The Cold Dish - Craig Johnson

Walt Longmire is the sheriff of Absaroka County in Wyoming, a place where everyone knows your name and probably your business. Walt's been a widower for three...no four years now. His home is worse than a bachelor pad, his deputy Vic is forever giving him a hard time about being overweight, and there's mouse droppings on his cooking utensils.

Despite the fact that Walt's life seems to be in a shambles, the people of Absaroka County like Walt, especially his good friend and Cheyenne Indian Henry Standing Bear. As a matter of fact, there's a small conspiracy going on between Henry, Cady (Walt's adult daughter), and Ruby (Walt's strong-willed secretary) to coax Walt back into the swing of life.

But a murder throws a wrench in that plan. Cody Pritchard, Jacob and George Esper and Brian Keller were convicted a few years earlier of raping and assaulting a young Cheyenne Indian girl, Melissa, who suffered from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. The were convicted by served measly sentences. Many people in the community and on the Cheyenne Reservation were disgusted with the outcome of the trial, and the outcome haunts Walt. So, when Cody Pritchard winds up shot to death and shortly thereafter Jacob succumbs to the same fate, Walt has to figure out who of the multitude of suspects is behind the murders and protect both George and Brian from ending up like Cody and Jacob. The hardest part for Walt is the fact that Henry, Melissa's "uncle", is a prime suspect.

Not too long ago, a friend on Goodreads reviewed Craig Johnson's most recent book, Another Man's Moccasins. She started her review by saying, "boy, can this guy write." I remembered her saying that about another author. Let's see, who was that...OH YEAH, it was Michael Koryta! And we all know my feelings about Koryta's writing! So of course if she thought Craig Johnson could also write well, I definitely had to look into this guy. And me being the OCD reader that I am, I can't start a series in the middle, I have to go back to the beginning and start there. And the beginning is The Cold Dish. And let me start by saying that my friend LJ was absolutely right, this guy CAN write. The adverb "well" doesn't even begin to scratch the surface!

Had there been no plot to this story whatsoever, I probably would have been mesmerized all the same. The characters are some of the richest I've seen in a long time. By the time I reached the end of the novel, I wanted to go live in Absaroka County with them! Walt is just plain fun. There's no question why his constituents like him. He's kind and fair and aims to do the "right" thing. He's not perfect, and his altercation with Turk highlights that. Turk assaulted Jules, an old drunk man, while putting Jules in jail for peeing on him. Walt simply lost his control and assaulted Turk. While his actions are ironic, I had trouble feeling any sympathy for Turk. But Ruby was furious with Walt and even threatened to quit because she was disgusted with his behavior. And Walt was embarrassed for it. Me, I was cheering for him!

I love Walt, but I often have a special affinity for the supporting character in a duo-type story. I'm a big fan of Kellerman's Milo, Coben's Win, and of course Crais' Joe Pike! I'm equally as fond of Henry. He is an incredibly rich character. His sarcastic humor is phenomenal. I was almost in tears laughing at various parts in this novel, and they usually involved something Henry was saying. And Henry often ends up being the voice of reason when Walt starts getting carried away. A certain quirk about Henry that I found very endearing, he never uses contractions when he speaks.

There are not a lot of GREAT female characters in crime fiction, by my standards. And even fewer that are written by men. But Vic may very well have climbed to the top of my list. And this is ironic. It's ironic because usually female characters with foul mouths turn me off, but Vic doesn't. Johnson has made the profanity that comes in her dialogue work for her. Throughout the book I've tried to figure out what he's doing differently that makes it develop her character instead of detract from it. I haven't quite figured it out, yet; I'm hoping that by the time I make it to Another Man's Moccasins I'll know. But for now, suffice it to say, it adds to her character.

All the characters in this novel are fascinating: Lucien, Omar, Jules, Ruby, George, Vonnie, Dena, Melissa and Lonnie Little Bird...yes, it is so. Johnson has a knack for breathing realism into his characters and bringing them to life for the reader. And their interactions with each other add a whole additional level of complexity to the novel. In and of themselves they would each be great characters but the relationships between them make them extraordinary characters.

But characterization isn't his only skill. Absaroka County is a tiny little place in Wyoming where very little out of the ordinary happens. This fact is reinforced when Vic is giving her crime updates to Walt at various times throughout the novel:

'Okay, we had three mailboxes at Rock Creek reportedly hit, got a call on some kid chasing horses with his snow machine, turns out the kid owned the horses and there's no law saying you can't herd livestock with a snow machine...that from the eleven-year-old perpetrator. Earl Walters slid off the road at Klondike and Upper Clear Creek and took out a yield sign; I always knew the ancient f#&%*&# couldn't read. And our crime of the day, Old Lady Grossman reported somebody stealing the snowman out of her yard and driving off with it. Ferg stopped the suspect, who turned out to be her nephew who had taken it as a joke.'

So when this murder happens to the perpetrators of the only previous crime that haunts Walt, all the county is whispering and theorizing.

I find that nowadays I especially enjoy settings that are off the beaten path. There are many books set in big cities like Chicago, Boston, NYC, or LA, and don't get me wrong, I have many favorites there, too (hello - Elvis Cole in LA), but the not-so-common settings are intriguing, different, unique. Absaroka County is one of those places.

I mentioned that IF the book had no plot, I would still be mesmerized by the characters. However, the book has an amazing plot. And it is so well crafted. At the beginning of Chapter 4 I was utterly confused. Chapter 3 ended with Walt seeing that he had a message on his answering machine from his daughter. You don't know what she says beyond, "'Hi, Pops...'" And then Chapter 4 starts out with

'You are not dying.'

'How do you know, you've never died.' I pushed my spine into the depression in the mile-marker post and eased my weight against its scaly green-painted surface.

'I have died many times.'

'Oh, s#%$&.'

'Get up.'

I picked a piece of cheat grass from the red shale roadbed, and it came out in one whole stalk, roots and all. It was cold, too. The frost clung to every surface, encasing the poor little fellow like those dragonflies you see trapped in thousand-year-old amber. If I was going to keep doing this every other morning, I had to get a pair of gloves. I raised my head and looked at him as he positioned himself in front of the rising sun like some fighter pilot moving in for the kill.

It isn't until another two pages pass that the reader learns that Henry has Walt out running. When it was finally revealed, I was crying I was laughing so hard. Especially when Clel, the character who discovers Henry and Walt on the side of the road says, "[running] From what?" And those two pages aren't filled with unnecessary fluff, they build up the reader's intrigued as to what the heck is going on.

The element I enjoyed the most was the intertwining of the Cheyenne Indian culture. I've always been fascinated by mythologies. So, I thought Chapter 12 was beyond brilliant. It was moving and it carried a completely different tone than the rest of the novel. There was obvious and utter respect emanating from this chapter.

I didn't know what kind of song it was, I didn't know what the words were, and I didn't want to know. I only listened to the complex melodies and carried them in my heart and mind, as other footprints seemed to join in with mine and share the load of George Esper. Old footfalls, old as the mountains and just as enduring. I listened as other voices joined in Henry's song, strong voices, voices that carried not only over the valley but through it. The Old Cheyenne were with me, and I could feel their strength as I continued along the trail, my heavy boots forming the snow as I went. The drums were there too, matching my progress in perfect fashion, providing an easy rhythm and keeping my legs moving.

I was entranced for the entire chapter, more accurately the remainder of the book. This book made me laugh, made me cry, and made me think. I loved it. If YOU made it through this entire review, you deserve a gold star. I'm sorry for running on so long; I just simply can't say enough wonderful things to do this book justice. If you haven't checked it out, I highly recommend you do so. Meanwhile, I'm moving on to the next Walt Longmire book. Johnson said he had to continue the lives of these characters because he too was left wondering where they went and what they did after the conclusion. I'm so glad. If this was the end of Walt, Henry, Vic and gang, I'd be devastated!

Happy Reading!

In the Woods - Tana French

**warning: this may contain spoilers for you; proceed with caution if you still intend to read the book...




In the Woods is the first person narrative of Adam "Rob" Ryan. In 1984 when Rob was a twelve-year-old boy in Knocknaree (near Dublin) he and his friends, Peter and Jamie, went off to play in the woods, like they often did. However, Peter and Jamie never came back. Adam was found clinging desperately to a tree in the woods and not remembering anything.

Twenty years later, Adam is now "Rob" and he's a police detective. As fate would have it, the case involving the death of Katy Devlin falls into his and his partner Cassie's lap. This case has similarities to Rob's own case from 20 years ago. Katy's twelve and her dead body was found at an archaeological site in the woods where Rob's friends disappeared. Rob and Cassie have to investigate Katy's family and the people surrounding them to figure out who killed her and if it had any connection to the case from 20 years ago.

There has been quite a bit of hype surrounding this book, and it won the 2007 Edgar Award for best first novel. So, there are folks out there who think this book is outstanding. I wouldn't put it in that category, but I did like it and think it was good.

My criticisms of the book? For me it was predictable. At one point Rob, who narrates the story, says something about not judging him too harshly because "you fell for it, too." I thought, "no, I really didn't."

I had high hopes that French was going to go against a male/female cliche. So often a male/female partnership ends up with the two people sleeping together. In this book, Cassie and Rob start off as "just friends" and have been several years. And their relationship is such a close and special one. The vast majority of the book they remain that way, and I kept waiting for them to sleep together because that's predictable, but at the same time I was hoping that by the end of the book they would still be "just friends" because quite frankly, that's such a rare thing in novels like this. I wanted French to "go against the grain" instead of being cliche. And I do believe that it definitely could have worked. She didn't, though.


And finally, the book was LONG, too LONG. If a book is moving and the plot is tight, I have no problems with long. I'll read a thousand pages under those circumstances. But French had a tendency to be verbose. She often said more than she needed to, and there was a significant amount of redundancy.

Positives? Characterization, definitely! All the characters were multi-dimensional, very dynamic. It's my hope that French's intention was for the reader to dislike Rob by the end of the book. I definitely did. Cassie was my favorite character. She was a young female in a male-dominated police department. She was criticized because of how she was assigned to the department, but she did earn her keep. She was spunky and smart and witty. Definitely a likable character.

I listened to this book on audio. The reader was very good, but again, it was long - 18 sound discs. I am glad I listened, and I will pursue other books by French in the future. It is my understanding that her next book is written from the perspective of Cassie, so that definitely interests me. Maybe she'll pull the writing a little tighter on this go round...

The Fourth Watcher - Timothy Hallinan

Poke Rafferty is a writer living in Bangkok, Thailand, with his fiance, Rose, and his adopted daughter, Miaow. Poke writes travels books with a unique twist - travel books that focus on the criminal aspects of locations. But he's ready to give up the danger associated with these books to have a life with his two special women.

Enter trouble! And not just trouble, but trouble in spades. Chu, a Chinese gangster is after Poke's father, Frank. He figures to reach Frank through Poke, even though Poke hasn't seen his father since he was 16. At the same time, Rose and her business partner, Peachy, innocently wind up caught in a counterfeiting ring. Throw in some crooked cops and an American Secret Service Agent, and you may think you have the makings of chaos. But quite the contrary. You have the makings of an incredible, suspenseful crime fiction novel.

There have been some blog discussions about "staycations" lately; vacations that you take at home (because gas is so expensive) through your travels in book. And I'm so incredibly excited to share with you my staycation to Bangkok, Thailand, courtesy of Timothy Hallinan. I have been immersed in the geography, the people, the politics. While I don't have a box full of slides to show you, it has been an amazing trip, let me share it with you.

How could I help but experience Bangkok through all of my senses with setting like this:

His decision arrives in the form of a typical Thai raindrop, perhaps half a pint of warm water, that smacks the top of his forehead much as a Zen master might clobber a meditating student whose attention has wandered. Before he can blink, thunder rumbles and the sky flickers: lights on, off, then on again, and suddenly it's much darker than before. A giant burps high overhead, a noise like someone rolling cannonballs in a huge pan.

This description sets the stage for the monsoon of trouble that is about to rain down on Poke and those around him. The foreshadowing is brilliant, and the rain continues to set the tone of the book throughout the course of events.

The setting is not the only place Hallinan works magic with the English language. Poke has a police officer friend, Arthit, whose wife, Noi, has multiple sclerosis; Hallinan helps the reader to experience the agony this woman endures day in and day out:

...Noi, is awakened, as she is so often these days, but the pain of her nerves burning away as multiple sclerosis licks at the sheathing tissue that covers them. She has come to think of the disease as a fire in her body, sometimes banked and sometimes burning out of control, whipped up by something she does not understand. When the disease is raging, especially late at night, it seems there is a third person in the room with her and Arthit, someone who knows how to fan the flames just by staring at her. She feels his emotionless, clinical gaze through the darkness...and on those nights she chews on the corner of her pillowcase to keep from moaning.

The imagery in this book is absolutely mesmerizing. I especially liked Poke's comment to Rose when he explains to her, "Women are flowers, men are root vegetables. You wouldn't make a bouquet of turnips." This line came in the chapter entitled "Women Are The Only People Who Look Good Naked." I don't see chapter titles in crime fiction very often these days, and that brought an added uniqueness to The Fourth Watcher. Half the fun was getting to the next chapter to see what it was titled!

Rafferty says that "'English is polyglot tongue...A linguistic hybrid enriched by grafts from many branches of the world's verbal tree.'" Hallinan was plucking from that tree constantly in this book. I have to admire any writer who can use "polyglot" and "stumblebum" in one book!

Hallinan's talent for imagery swept this reader away to a foreign land, but his knack for character development held my hand and helped me walk right into the lives of these people.

How can you NOT picture Elson, the Secret Service Agent, with description like this: "'Jesus...this guy safety-pins his socks together...What do you think, he's afraid they'll have a fight and separate or something?'" Or this: "Elson straightens his glasses, which already look like they were positioned by someone using a carpenter's level."

And Rafferty's best STATED description may very well come from his enemy: "'You have many characteristics I admire. You're devious, ingenious, energetic. You have a certain flair, which as far as I can see you're wasting completely.'"

When I taught high school English, I hammered home the multitude of ways an author could develop a character. One of the hardest elements for students to grasp was how a character was developed through his/her interactions with other characters. This book is a text on how to effectively achieve that development. Poke's interaction with Rose and Miaow obviously builds one layer of his character. His relationship with his friend Arthit adds another. But what makes Poke most interesting is his connection to characters like his half-sister, Ming Li. Poke doesn't know he even has a sister until she shows up with their father in Bangkok on Poke's doorstep. Ming Li and Poke are both adults, Poke being older than Ming-Li, but at times they seem to be going through the growing pains of typical young siblings. Ming-Li will often consult Poke on her American slang, like she's learning from her older brother, "'It is so not the bomb," Ming Li says. To Rafferty she says, "Did I get that right?"' And Poke will act irritated like his little sister is such a pest and a nuisance in his life, "'I'm not really the go-to guy on hip-hop. If you want to know anything about OFR, though, I'm your man.'" But you still sense a connection between the two, like they will pick at one another, but if an outsider were to attack one the other would immediately come to the defense.

All of the characters were extremely rich and added so much to the overall book.

The plot comes across at first as being all over the place. If you read the book jacket, you know that Poke is the main character. However, this main character walks himself right into the barrel of a gun and is shot in the face in the first chapter. So how in the world is he going to do anything for the rest of the book, right? Especially since the plot takes place over the course of three DAYS, and no, it isn't a flashback! Now THERE is a hook. And then you add in the counterfeiting ring, the American Secret Service Agent, Elson, the Chinese gangster and all his thugs, stolen rubies...just where is all this going? The way that Hallinan weaves all these independent elements together is phenomenally intriguing and it keeps the pace of the book quick.

The tone of the book could have gotten very dark and dreary, but Hallinan's wit lightens the heaviness. Rafferty's sarcasm, the banter between he and Arthit, Ming Li's attempts with American slang, Miaow's boldness, it all adds wonderful humor and airy-ness so you don't feel like you're drudging through darkness.

I have to say, if you haven't picked up on it already, The Fourth Watcher has been an extremely memorable staycation for me. I highly recommend it!